Toy printing-wheel.



' carrying the characters,

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HERBERT E. ENGK, OE ASHLAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO IMPROVED MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F ASHLAND, OHIO.

`TOY PRINTING-WHEEL.

` Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application filed January 11, 1918. Serial No. 211,396.

To all whom it may Concern Be it known that I, HERBnRrE. ENGK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ashland, in the county of Ashland and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Toy Printing-Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hand-operated printing devices, and is particularly adapted for use as a toy by children, although the same may be found of great practical use for marking letters, figures, or other characters upon various articles.

The object is to provide; a Isimple device of compact form, wherein all the letters, iigures, signs or other characters are carried by one body member, which may be readily turned in the hand of the operator, to bring the desired character into printing position for the proper impression, and having indicia within view of the operator corresponding with the said characters, for indicating the eXact type of character to be printed or impressed,

Another object is to provide insuch a device, means for inking the characters, which is associated with the said body member in such a manner as to be readily applied to the latter for inking the same, and which is separable ther from, so as to be out of the way during the process of printing. v

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detail description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification; it Ibeing understood that while the drawing showspractical fo-rms of the invention, the latter is not conined to strict conformity therewith, but may be changed or modified, so long as such changesor modications mark no material departure tures of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts in each of the several figures Figure 1 is a plan view of the prferred form of the invention, showing the same within a box or closure with the lid thereof removed;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view o-f the same, showing the lid applied;

Fig. 3' is an edge view of the wheel or from vthe salient feabody member carrying the type or other characters Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the same;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View of a modified form of` the invention, shown partly in elevation.

The preferred form of the invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, includes a type-carrying wheel or body member 1, which is preferably formed of a circular disk composed of some suitable wood, although the same may be formed in any other desired manner, such, for instance, as of thin sheet metal suitably secured to provide a hollow structure o-f the necessary diameter and depth or thickness.

The type-carrying wheel or body member 1 is of a diameter sufficient to contain the necessary number of letters, figures, or other characters 2, which are suitably se* cured to the periphery of the wheel 1 in spaced relation to each other, and adjacent to the upper face of the said wheel 1, as indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. This arrangement of the characters 2, it will be seen, is necessary in properly positioning the character to be impressed upon the surface to receive the inscription, or other marking.

The type or characters 2 are preferably composed of rubber or other suitable material, and may be cemented in position upon the periphery and are arranged in what ,may be termed an upside down or inverted position thereon, so that when the type-wheel 1 assumes the necessary vertical position upon the surface to be impressed, the said characters then assumel the proper position, with the bottom edges of said characters in view of the operator, and subsequent letters, igures, or other characters, may be properly alined.

The type-carrying wheel 1 in theform of the invention under discussion, is lprovided with a central bore or passageway?) extending entirely through the same. This bore or passageway is for the purpose of receiving and housing an ink pad 4, consisting of a suitable disk of felt or other material, suitably impregnated with the proper ink, as indicated at 5 in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and said bore or passageway 3 forms a suitable ingerhold for facilitating the rotation of the type-carrying wheel 1, to bring successive characters into printing position, during the operation of the device.

The ink pad 4 is secured, as by gluing, to a block 6, preferably formed of wood, and centrally secured to the bottom wall kof a box 7, preferably formed of stif'pasteboard, and having upstanding walls 8 of a height somewhat greater than the thickness of the type-carrying wheel 1, so that when the lid or cover 9, illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, is in position, the type-carrying wheel 1 is completely housed within the box or closure.

The block 6 is circular in plan View to correspond with thebore or passageway 3, house and carry the same therein. The diheight somewhat'less than the thickness of the type-carrying wall 1, so that the ink pad 4 thereon is spaced away from thesaid lid 9, and may not come in contact therewith.

The box 7, which is preferably rectangular in plan view, is of a diameter sufficient for the upstanding side walls 8 to escape the faces of the characters 2, as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and while it is preferable to provide such a box for containing and housing the type-wheel 1, it may be found desirable at times to manufacture the same without such box, when it will be advantageous to construct the device in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5, which will be later described.

The top face of the type-carrying wheel or body member 1 may be covered with a circular sheet of paper or other material, as indicated at 10, bearing near its outer edge a series of indicia 11 corresponding with the characters 2 on the periphery of the wheel 1, and in exact radial alinement therewith. The indicia 11 is preferably formed by printing the same upon the sheet of paper l0, and gluing the latter to the upper or front face of the Ywheel 1, although other means may be resorted to for impressing the same upon the face of the wheel 1, such, for instance, as by printing the same directly upon said wheel. In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, wherein the box 7 is eliminated, there is a socket 12 extending but part of the way through the wheel 1, and stopping short to provide an integral bottom wall 13 adapted to support the ink pad 14 which is secured to a separate block 15 to house and carry the same therein. The diameter of the block 15 is substantially the same as the diameter of the socket 12, so that theV same will remain in position therein by frictional engagement. A fingerhold 1 16 is preferably formed in that face of the block 15 opposite the ink pad 1'4, to facilitate the-removal of the latter from the socket 12.

Y the perlphery In the latter form of the device, indicia, similar t0 that indicated at 11 in the first form described, is carried "by a similar sheet 10, for the purpose of properly posiytioning the impression characters 2 thereon in a manner similar to that first described.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a simple device has been devised for Ythe 'impression of figures, letters, or other characters, upon any desired surface, and which may be manufactured at a very low cost, thus .causing ythe device to be especially adapted for use as a toy, although lits practical value will be readily apparent.

In the use of the device, it is only necessary to remove the type-carrying wheel 1 from its association with the ink pad, and to impress the desired character thereon in order to coat the surface of the same with ink. The wheel 1 is `then applied perpendicularly to the surf 1ce to receive the impression, when the indicia 1-1 will 'indicate to the eye of the operator the next character to be used, and the exposed edges of said characters will enable the operator to properly locate the same adjacent to the characters alreadyv printed, and in proper alinement therewith.

The device will .be found Vto be an amusing and instructive'toy in the hands of children,

and the same is capable of practical use in marking or labeling articles of various kinds.

What `is claimed is Y 1. A package, comprising a disk having a circular series of designating characters arranged on one fiat face and adjacent to the periphery thereof, and having a central opening, impression characters carried by of the ldisk in registering relation to the said` designating characters, and a box adapted to surround and to hold said disk and having an inking pad secured thereto andadapted to be housed within the said -central opening.

2. A package comprising 4a box having a cover, an inking pad rigidly secured `to the bottom o-f the box remote from the side walls thereof and having its inked surface uppermost, and a printing wheel'having a central.

HERBERT E. ENCK.. Witnesses 'Y J. L. HUNTER, EARL E. LEED.V

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

